Rabbi Hammer Responsum

״זה ספר תולדות האדם: היחס ללא יהודים ביהדות המסורתית״

עיון בתשובתו של הרב ראובן המר

Rabbi Reuven Hammer: how we are to relate to non-Jews in Jewish law.

Just a few weeks ago, Rabbi Yosef Elitzur, co-author of Torat HaMelech, a “halachic” book that explained why it is sometimes permissible to kill non-Jews, was arrested and charged with incitement toward violence. The arrest has reignited interest in the question of how Jewish law instructs us to relate to non-Jews in the 21st century, as Jewish tradition includes many positive as well as negative statements about non-Jews.

This study session will look at the thought process behind Rabbi Reuven Hammer’s 2016 responsum questioning how we are to relate to non-Jews in Jewish law.

The Masorti Movement is committed to a pluralistic, egalitarian, and democratic vision of Zionism. Masorti represents a “third” way. Not secular Judaism. Not ultra-Orthodoxy. But a Jewish life that integrates secular beliefs. Halakhah with inclusion and egalitarianism. Tradition that recognizes the realities of today’s world. Masorti engages tens of thousands of Israelis each year, young and old, native born as well as olim from around the globe.